ATLANTA, GA-- After winning two of the four last games on the road, Georgia State women's basketball returns home to host James Madison in the GSU Convocation Center on Jan. 31 at 6:30 p.m.
STATE IN THE SUN BELT:
> The Panthers rank second in the Sun Belt in blocks (3.3), and are third in the conference in bench points (25.6 ppg), which ranks top 50 in the nation. GSU is fourth in the conference in assists (13.8 pg), forced turnovers (18.89 per game) and steals per game (10.7), which ranks top 50 in the nation.
> Freshman Crystal Henderson posted a team-high 20 points to lead Georgia State to a 74-66 road win against in-state rival Georgia Southern (Jan. 24). Mya Williams hit a dagger 3-pointer with 1:52 left in the game to put Georgia State up 68-61, which ultimately put the Panthers in the position to take game eight of conference play.
> GSU took an early lead and didn't look back in the 73-47 win over South Alabama in game seven of conference play. The win marked the largest margin of victory in a Sun Belt game since the 2016-17 season (42 vs ULM). Deasia Merrill led the Panthers with a season-high 17 points, 11 rebounds and one assist.
> GSU rallied late in the fourth quarter to take down App State 73-68 in game five of Sun Belt conference play. Alyssa Phillip netted a season-first 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter, and Mikyla Tolivert netted the final five points of the game to clinch the win over the Mountaineers.
> The Panthers defeated Texas State 64-55 in game three of conference play. Tolivert led GSU with 18 points, two blocks and two steals, while Crystal Henderson followed with nine points, seven rebounds and five assists. The Panthers' win over the Bobcats broke a three-game losing streak on the series against Texas State.
> GSU opened conference play with an overtime win over Troy on Dec. 31 after Mya Williams hit a buzzer beater to put the Panthers up 90-89. Tolivert hit the tying 3-pointer with nine seconds left in regulation to extend the game into an extra period.
> GSU clinched its first Power Five win since 2008 after defeating Clemson 78-72 on the road on Dec.16.. Mya Williams led the Panthers with a season-high 21 points and three assists. Freshman Crystal Henderson put up a then season-high 20 points and five 3-pointers.
TOP FRESHMAN IN THE SUN BELT:
> Freshman point guard Crystal Henderson, who has seen the most time on the court, is the Panthers' second-leading scorer at 12.1 ppg while leading the team in assists (4.2 pg), which ranks fifth in the Sun Belt. The Marietta, Ga., native also ranks in the top ten in the Sun Belt for steals (2.0 pg), and assist-turnover ratio (+1.55).
> The freshman leader has recorded 11 double-digit games, including three 20+ pointers at Clemson (Dec. 16), Troy (Dec. 31) and Georgia Southern (Jan. 24). Henderson notched a career-high 24 points and six free throws in the Panthers' win at Troy (Dec. 31).
> Henderson leads all Sun Belt freshmen in scoring and assists. She is ranked fifth nationally among all freshmen in Assists per game.
> Henderson averages 13.3 ppg and 2.7 rpg in conference play.
PANTHERS TO WATCH:
> Preseason All-Sun Belt guard Mikyla Tolivert leads GSU in scoring (14.5 ppg) and 3-point percentage (.371). The Melbourne, Fla. native is also third on the team in free throw percentage (.721), which ranks seventh in the Sun Belt. She also ranks top 10 in the conference for assists per game (3.6). She ranks sixth in the conference in steals (2.06 pg). Tolivert notched a double-double with a career-high 27 points and 10 rebounds, and sunk a career-high five 3-pointers in the Panthers' conference opener at Troy (Dec. 31).
> Tolivert came within one point of matching her career-high in the Panthers' road contest at Southern Miss (Jan. 18) after netting 26 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals. She also went 7-for-7 at the free throw line.
> Tolivert averages 15.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg and 3.7 assists per game in conference play.
> Veteran leader Deasia Merrill is the Panthers' second-leading rebounder (6.9 rpg) and ranks third in the Sun Belt for blocks per game (1.24). Merrill is fourth on the Panthers' leaderboard in scoring (9.0 ppg). The 6-1 senior from Villa Rica, Ga., notched her third double-double of the season in the Panthers' latest contest at Old Dominion (Jan. 27). She netted a season-high 17 points, 11 rebounds and one assist at South Alabama (Jan. 20). She also tallied a career-high five blocks against Bethune-Cookman (Nov. 22). Merrill was second on the team in the 2022-23 season with 13.6 points per game, along with a team-leading 7.2 rebounds. She ranked 11th in the Sun Belt in scoring and 10th in rebounding.
> Junior post player Alyssa Phillip, who has seen the second-most time on the court, leads the Panthers squad in rebounding with 7.2 rpg, which ranks in the top 10 in the Sun Belt. The veteran forward matched her career-high 13 rebounds in the Panthers' contest against Marshall (Jan.11), which she previously set in the 2022-23 season. She also set a career-high five assists in the Panthers' conference-opening win at Troy (Dec. 31). Phillip averages 4.1 ppg on the season.
> Veteran Christeina Bryan averages 4.3 ppg and 3.2 rpg on the season. The Saint Thomas, Jamaica, native has started at the forward position in all conference matchups, averaging 3.6 ppg and 4.0 rpg in Sun Belt play. Bryan notched a career-high nine rebounds at Clemson (Dec. 16). She also tallied a career-high 19 points and two blocks in the Panthers' victory over LaGrange (Dec. 19).
SERIES VS. JAMES MADISON: Georgia State clinched its first win against James Madison during the 2023 season when the Panthers took a 72-64 advantage over the Dukes.
After returning home from a four-game road series to host James Madison, the Panthers look to host Georgia Southern (Jan. 3) and Arkansas State (Jan. 7).
